davis



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-A-Sheet'.4 1.- J. L. DAVIS.

BRAY.

' Patented June 4, 1889.

I l l Mmmm I w J'mesIav-zis N. PETERS. Pham-Lunagnpner, wnhingmn. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. L. DAVIS.

(No Model.)

DRAY.

Patented June 4, v1889.

A h r UNITED STATESl JAMES LYNNVOOD DAVIS, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

KIM BERTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

D RAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,688, dated June 4,1889.

Application illed March 23,1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES LYNNwooD DA- VIs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kimberton, in the county of Chester and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Drays, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in drays; and it consists in thepeculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be morefully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a dray embodying myimprovement, showing the skid or inclined track extended therefrom. Fig.2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the same, showing the skid orinclined track and the body arranged in position on the dray. Fig. 3 isa top plan view of the same. Fig. a is a vertical transverse sectionalvlew.

The frame A of the'dray comprises a pair of longitudinal-track boards B,having vertical side-boards C at their outer sides and cross-bars D,which connect the front and rear ends of the boards B. On the front endof the frame is arranged an elevated seatE for the driver, and in theside-standards F of the said. seat is journaled a transverseWindlassshaft G, which has an operating-wheel I-I at one end, and isprovided with a ratchet-wheel I. A flanged pawl K is' pivoted to one ofthe seat-standards, and is. adapted to engage the said ratchet-wheel.

A pair of bolsters L are arranged transversely under the boards B andbolted thereto at the front end of the frame. The said bolsters aresupported on transverse plates M, and under the latter is secured theupper section or member N of the iifth-wheel. The front axle O has thehounds P of the usual construction, the said hounds being supported on apair of longitudinal semi-elliptic springs R, the central portions of-Which are bolted or otherwise secured on the front, axle. The rear endsof the springs bear directly'under the rear corners of the hounds andthe front y ends of the said springs are connected by a semi-elliptictransverse spring S, the central portion of which is secured under thecrossbar at the front end of the hounds. The lower Serial No. 304,399.(No model.)

member or section T of the iifth-wheel is secured on the central portionof the hounds, and the king-bolt U passes through aligned verticalopenings in the cross-bars V of the fifth-wheel. A pair of blocks IV aresecured under the track-boards B at a suitable distance from the rearends thereof, the thickness of said blocks being equal to the thicknessof the rearmost cross-bar D, and bolted to the under sides of saidblocks and of said cross-bar by bolts X, which pass also through theboards B, are a pair of rearwardly-extending bars Y, the latterprojecting a suitable distance from the rear of the frame and havingtheir rear ends connected by a cross-bar Z. On the center of the rearcross-bar D is secured a chain A', which has Aa hook B.

C represents a skid or track, which com-v prises a pair of longitudinaltrack-bars D", having vertical side boards or Iianges E. at their outeredges, and cross-bars F', (two or more,) which have their ends boltedtothe track-boards D' by means of pivotal bolts G. The said skid ortrack is thus rendered flexible, and the same is adapted 'to becollapsed or narrowed in width, so that the track-boards D will come incontact with each other, and thereby the said skid or track may beplaced on the cross-bars D of the truckfra1ne,be tween the boards Bthereof, where it' wilfbe out of the way. At one end of the said skid orinclined track is a keeper G2, which is adapted tobe engaged by the hookB', and

thereby the said skid or inclined track may be secured on thetruck-frame.

The rear axle H of the truck is provided with a pair of semi-ellipticalsprings I', which have their centers bolted on the said axle and havetheir ends connected under the trackboards B by means of suitablekeepers K. The rear ends of the said springs are connected to the endsof a semi-elliptical spring L', the central portion of which is securedunder the rearmost cross-bar D.

Vhen the skid or inclined track is extended from the rear end of thetruck-frame, the front end of the said skid or inclined track is placedon the rearwardly-extending bars Y, with the front cross-bar F inengagement with the cross-bar Z, as shown.

The body or bed IWI of the truck, which may IOO be provided with sidestandards N' or with removable side-boards, if preferred, is mounted ontrucks O', each of which comprises ashaft P and rollers R', secured tothe ends of said shafts. The said shafts are journaled in blocks S',which depend from the body or bed. At the front end of t-he latter is aring T', which is adapted to be attached to the rear end of a rope orchain U', which rope or chain is attached to and is adapted to be Woundor uncoiled from the Windlass-shaft.

The operation of my invention is as follows: In order to load the truckthe skid or track is first extended from the rear end thereof and thebody or bed is rolled down the said skid or track onto the pavement orinto the store or Warehouse and is there loaded. The rope or chain isthen attached to the said bed or body by means of the ring T', and byrevolving the ivindlassshaft said rope or chain is Wound thereon and thebed or body is drawn up the inclined skid or track onto the truckframe.The skid or track is then collapsed in the manner before described andsecured on the truck-frame.

It Will be understood from the foregoing that the bed or body may beloaded and uit loaded much more easily than is possible where theparcels or casks have to be taken to and removed from the truck, as inthe ordinary manner. Moreover, myimproved dray is advantageous in thisrespect, that fran gible articles placed therein are notu so likely tobecome broken.

Having thus described my Iinvention, I clainrl. The combination, with awagon-frame provided with opposite tracks, one arranged at each sidethereof, of a skid provided with opposite side bars adapted to registerin width with the side tracks of the wagon and loosely connected to becollapsed laterally and adapted to be inserted between the side tracksof the wagon, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with a Wagon-frame provided with opposite sidetracks, of a truck mounted for movement1 thereon, and a laterallycollapsible and movable skid designed to fit Within the side tracks ofthe wagon and withdrawn and extended to register with said tracks,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the frame A, having the relnovably-extendingbars Y, terminating' in the chanifered bar Z, and having the bar I),provided with chain A', terminating in the hook B', of the skid providedwith the staple G2, adapted to engage with the hook and to rest upon thechamfered edge of the bar Z, substantially as specified.

LL. The dray having the body provided with the longitudinal track boardsor bars l, the bed or body having the supporting' wheels or rollers, andthe skid or inclined track comprising the side-track Vboards D', and thecross-bars l1" pivotally connected thereto, whereby said skid orinclined track is adapted to be collapsed, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES LYNNWOOI) DAV Witnesses:

IMNIEL BUTLER Frailes, GEORGE SNvDER.

